Idea

The Temporary Gardens were initiated in 1997 with the ambition to discover
potentials in the urban space of Berlin and make them visible. Other goals
wereto stress current positions of landscape architecture and to reestablish
public space as a place for communication and interaction. The Temporary
Gardens want to raise and encourage public interest for the topic of developing
urban free spaces. They are a creative contribution to the discussion about
the future appearance of Berlin's public space.

Locations that are normally hardly noticed by the public are highlighted
for four days with imaginative installations, interactions and performances
that offer different views on the place. These locations often suffer from
a negative image or are subject of controversial political discussions.
The Temporary Gardens interpret the existing situations. They try to encourage
new ways of looking at places, try to emphasize their characteristics. A
Temporary Garden is an invitation to make new experiences.

Initiators are Daniel Sprenger and Marc Pouzol, both landscape architects
from Berlin. Many other supporters and partners work as volunteers on planning
and realizing the project.

urban modules - Marco Antonini, Roberto Capecci, Raffaella Sini

Order of Event

Every year the Temporary Gardens start with an invitation to landscape
architects, artists, architects and students including theme and place.
A commission chooses 20 submissions for realization.

During the following months the participants work on the realization of
their projects while keeping close contact to the organizers. That means
a lot of work for the participants and often also expenses since they have
to find sponsors for the projects themselves.

The Temporary Gardens blossom out on the first weekend in July. From the
big opening on Thursday night until Sunday evening all the participants
work and celebrate together with the visitors. Music events, lectures and
hourly guided tours through the gardens add to the celebration. During these
days the chosen area is visited by those interested in arts and those that
are just passing by. They get the opportunity to have a look at the pieces
of art and also discuss them with the creators or other visitors.

And every year the French photographer Yann Monel saves impressions of
this event. Each year in November an exhibition of his photographs offers
a chance to talk about what has been achieved and to discuss new ideas and
concepts to improve the Temporary Gardens as a forum for contemporary landscape
architecture. This critical view on the event forms also the basis for the
existing publications about them Temporary Gardens.